The Darkest of Places
by SethTheScavenger
Summary: Ignorant of the true nature of the Force, Lord Vader dares to challenge someone more understanding than him, someone who reaches deep within his dark soul, to a place that was not ought to see the light of day... A memory from a life past, different ways he could have gone, if only he knew the truth... It is a sequel to another fan made product, "Kyllogynai: A Star Wars Story".
1. Chapter 1 - Memory of the Life Past

Ominous presence gloomed over the small interior of the shuttle. The dark lord watched over the small crew inside. Being unable to see any resemblance of a human face through his black mask, made Clive Vanto feel uneasy. The only way to escape was small window showing a vast desert landscape, somehow familiar a yet so different… Lacking the long river and wild woods surrounding it. It was only sand and rocks now.

Clive wanted this journey to end as fast as it could, no matter the possible end.

The ship approached a high cliff with ragged top and a huge crack leading to grand caves inside.

'Here.' Lord Vader said with his unnatural voice, synced through the aperture on his face. The ship touched down and the ramp opened. 'With me.' He said. Vanto knew well who he meant, and wished it had not been like that. He stood up and followed the man the dark cape.

Clive knew those cliffs quite well, even without all the green surrounding it. The cavern they entered must have been normally hidden behind the grand water of Khalos. Now, it was but a dry crack leading to darkness. But still, Vader walked with confidence, as if he knew something was in there, or rather felt it. Each step of his huge body sent vibrations through the rocks, and each one of them, together with his terrifying breath, threateningly diminished Vanto's desire to run away.

The cavern was not deep and once the darkness grew bigger, it ended with an old, collapsed wall, full of ornaments. Lord Vader looked around, seemingly as if he was confused. He began looking around nervously, what seemed out of character for him and soon even Vanto began to feel something, mysterious, but also a comforting feeling. Suddenly a warm light and echoing voice spread around the cave:

'You should not be here.'

The two looked up to a pile of rocks. On top stood a teenage girl. Her hair was a wild bush of curls, her skin was brown, at the verge of golden. Her body was covered with mysterious orange tattoos, and almost seemed to be glowing with a mild, warm light. Clive recognized her, in fact she almost knew her well, and was happy to see her face.

'Sotira…' Vanto whispered.

'What are you?' Lord Vader asked.

'I am no more than what you are, the only difference being is the ability to see the truth.' Sotira said and walked down the pile towards him. She looked at Vanto and smiled to him, understanding the change he has come through. 'Hello Clive.'

Lord Vader looked at Vanto.

'You know her…' He asked. Clive, feeling empowered with Sotira on her side, replied with self confidence:

'Yes… And she is beyond your understanding. You are no match for her…'

Vader looked at him for a while and then furiously raised his hand. Vanto began to suffocate. There was nothing he could physically do to help it. He was powerless.

However quickly after, Sotira stopped it and with the power of her will, bent dark lord's hand.

'You are strong with the force.' He said. His voice was no longer threatening, for there was a small dose nervousness.

'Strong? No. Strength like many things is but an illusion.' She said as calmly as she could. Suddenly, Vader grabbed a lightsaber at his belt and ignited it. In the few seconds when the light around the cavern turned from gold to red, he took a fast and strong swing straight at Sotira. But the crimson blade of the lightsaber did not cut or pierce her, but stopped right before her face. Vader retracted and attacked once more, with the same result. 'Just as I said…'

'What are you?' the dark lord asked once again, this time even without the attempt to hide his helplessness.

He was suddenly raised in the air, the lightsaber ripped away from his hand and all the limbs mechanical limbs of his were disabled. As he was unable to move. To Sotira approached him even closer and with a move of her hands, took apart his mask, layer by layer, until it revealed a scarred and burnt face hidden underneath.

Vanto could not believe what he was seeing. The human side of merciless Lord Vader, a wounded face that showed the emotion of pain as the breathing apparatus began to malfunction. Sotira caressed his ruined skin with sadness and even shed a tear. Then she looked at Vanto and said:

'You are free now Clive. Go, run away, save yourself from them.'

Vanto bowed kindly and smiled with relief.

'Thank you… For everything. I hope we shall see each other again.' He said.

'Oh, we will.' She laughed while Clive turned around and ran away into the light at the end of the tunnel.

For the first time in many years, Vader was afraid. He was powerless, unable to move. Except the company of his master, he always had the upper hand, wielded the seat of power. He wanted to use that pain and anger he felt to power himself, use it to get out, but something restrained him… Her touch that calmed him down and eased the pain… It reached deep within to a place in his dark soul, that he has forgotten about…

'If you want to know who I am, then I will show you...' She said 'But do not be afraid, for I want all the best for you...'

The girl leaned towards him, blinding Vader with her light. She kissed him on his burnt cheek, and once again reached deep within him, to a memory, a part of him that was no longer ought to see the light of day…

Ani walked out the balcony of his home to the backyard, looking for his mother. The twin stars were rising on the horizon, so he stopped for a while to sink in the beauty of his home planet.

Finally he noticed someone other than himself. A girl walked into the backyard from behind a building. Her skin was light brown, on the verge of gold, covered in brown tattoos. Hair was a big and dense curly bush. The face was cute and honest, booming with compassion through her brown eyes. In overall, she was unlike anything Ani has ever seen, a truly beautiful being.

'Are you an angel?' He asked. The girl chuckled and asked.

'I do not know… Am I?'

'I heard deep space pilots talk about them. They're the most beautiful creatures in the universe. They live on the moons of Iego… I think.'

'Huh… That is not where I come from… In fact, I am from a place not far from here…' She said and looked closely at Ani. 'You seem troubled… What is wrong?'

'My mom… I can't find her.'

'Do not worry. I can help you find her. I had to look for people I have lost many times before. I am good at this… My name is Sotira, what is yours?

'Anakin Skywalker.'

'That is a very pretty surname, Sky-Walker.' Sotira said and chuckled.


	2. Chapter 2 - Deep Within

Sotira and Ani walked out to the busy streets of Mos Espa, as the sky grew more blue with each moment.

'Where I come from the Twin Stars do not rise as high… The sky you have here is beautiful.' Sotira said.

'It's normal…'

'Perhaps, but cannot normal be beautiful and beautiful normal?' She asked and peeked at Ani, who smiled with a bit of shame.

'Maybe… So how will you help me find your mother? You haven't even seen her.'

'You see, in a way all lives are tied together, especially in a family. Not many do, but I can feel and follow that connection.' Sotira calmly explained. Ani looked at her with suspicion.

'Who are you… really?' He asked. Sotira chuckled and replied:

'Just a kid from Tattoine, like you.'

'I don't want to be just that kid from Tattoine. One day I will free us and fly far away.' Ani said with confidence. Sotira smiled.

'I do not doubt you will… Each of us has a potential to be something special.' She said, stopped and closed her eyes. Ani looked at her with curiosity.

'What are you doing?' He asked. Sotira opened her eyes again and said quietly:

'Your mom is in the marketplace…'

The two carried on through the poor city, to a small marketplace where Ani's mother was just passing by.

'Ani, I thought you were still asleep.' She said while he ran towards her.

'I didn't know where you are.' Ani said and hugged his mom.

'I only went to do some shopping.'

'Look who I met…' Ani turned and pointed at Sotira. 'A new friend, her name is Sotira.'

Ani's mother looked over at Sotira and said:

'Hello. My name is Shmi… Shmi Skywalker.'

Sotira bowed politely and said:

'Little Ani really cares about his mother.'

'Yes he does…' Shmi said. She kept observing Sotira. Though she did not know her, she saw something in her brownish eyes… Trust and kindness… The feeling of safety. 'Ani… Why don't we invite your new friend for a nice breakfast, before you go off to mister Watto.'

Ani happily nodded his head.

With days passing, Sotira quickly became a friend of the small family of two. On various occasions she helped Shmi around the house and spent a lot of time playing or building things with Ani in his backyard...

'Where did you learn to construct a power cell like that?' He asked.

'From a friend of mine, who learned it from his friend… You remind me of him. He was also a tinkerer… And he even looked like you.' She replied and then looked away with melancholy. 'I can show you… How to do that.'

'There is actually something else I would like you to teach me…' Ani said timidly. Sotira looked at him with an open mind. 'The day we met, you told that you can sense the connections between people… Could you show me how to do that?'

'Of course… Although I cannot show or teach you how to sense them. I can only help you understand their nature… But with that knowledge, you will be able to find them as well.' Sotira said. Ani nodded unsurely. He did not truly understand her, but kept listening. 'Come… Lie down.' She said. Ani slowly lied his body on a stone bench and his head on Sotira's legs. 'Close your eyes, take a deep breath, clear your mind… And now, picture the universe itself…'

'What does that have to do with anything?'

'You will understand soon enough… For now, just imagine how the universe looks like, what do you see?'

'Space, a broad space… Galaxies, stars…'

'And what lies beneath it? What is the fundament for all of that you see?'

'I don't know… Maybe gravity and some sort of… Physics.' Ani said. Sotira chuckled.

'You are smart… So now, tell me… What are those physics?'

'I… I don't know. I never thought about that. I guess it's just how things are…'

'Perhaps, but for the moment being, picture that they are mysterious threads, that hold the entire universe together. But they are more than physics. Deep within, the threads would connect everything together, as well as everyone…'

'What does that mean?' Ani asked with confusement.

'It means that you and me, and everyone, are connected with every single object in the universe, every person and even, the threads which shape our reality…' Sotira replied. Suddenly Ani raised his head from her legs and stared in front of him with disbelief. A rock from the ground started floating all by itself. He looked over at Sotira with confusement. 'And being connected with them, we can influence the way things are, we can look further, see more… Feel what others feel.'

'So you are connected to the rock… That's how you manage to lift it up.'

'In a certain meaning, but there is a number of ways to make that happen… Lift it with nothing but the power of your will, influence the way gravity affects it… Our possibilities are endless… So now, think of your mom and you will find her.'

Ani closed his eyes and sat in silence for a while. Ultimately he exclaimed with irritation:

'I don't understand… I don't feel anything.'

'Be calm… Do not recall the memories of your mother, but focus and think of her now.' Sotira whispered to him. So once again, Ani closed his eyes, took a big breath and focused. Suddenly he gasped and looked at Sotira with confusement.

'I have felt something… I saw my mom for a short moment… Like she was here… But she wasn't…'

'You are a natural. It is love that creates a strong bond… Beauty of kindness bound by understanding… Not many know it, but it is the fundament to all of our connections… Never forget that and never let anyone take it away from you.' Sotira said quietly and took Ani's hand. He looked up to her with a wide smile and replied:

'Never.'

'Let us try that again…'


End file.
